A man has said his neighbour’s pet is so loud that he gets stomach cramps.
William Ranieri, 48, from Brighton, says his neighbour’s cockerel’s “incessant crowing” causes him immense stress.
He said the noise is so bad that it causes irrational responses such as stomach cramps, anger, and shaking.
Despite the hot weather, Mr Ranieri has had to resort to wearing headphones while working and keeping all his windows and doors shut.
Speaking to The Argus, Mr Ranieri said: “This has caused me immense stress and I think it highlights the lack of accountability in our community.”
He now alleges that his neighbour, a council tenant, should not be allowed to keep the animal because of the council’s housing tenancy management policy.
When he reported the tenant to the council he claims they said that the tenant was acting within their agreement.
He said: “This contradicts the council’s own policy which explicitly prohibits the keeping of cockerels due to the noise they produce.”
Mr Ranieri also alleges that the council suggested the use of a crow collar which the complainant said was cruel and “deeply concerning”.
He added: “The collar has never been implemented anyway. The noise problem persists.”
Mr Ranieri also suggested that the animal should be moved to a nearby allotment.
Following the row, a spokesperson for Brighton and Hove City Council said there was no “blanket ban” on tenants owning cockerels.
They explained: “There is no blanket ban on council tenants owning cockerels. We consider each permission request for a pet based on individual circumstances.
“In some cases, we agree conditions with tenants that are intended to limit noise nuisance from pets. In instances where people feel animals are causing noise nuisance we always ask the people affected to monitor the frequency and duration of the nuisance.
“We can consider withdrawing permission for a pet. But we can only do when we have sufficient evidence – such as dates and times – of the nuisance being caused.
“We cannot comment on individual cases.”
